I currently own three Forte' 3's and two Forte' 6's along with a couple dozen other amps. Have also had Forte' 1A's and Forte' 4's in the past. Ned aka Ferrari has a pair of the Forte' 7's, which i've always been interested in but never tried. Given that they are more powerful monoblock versions of the 4A, i'm sure that they sound quite similar with better dynamics, greater control and improved channel separation.
For best results, these amps work best if left powered up 24/7. Make sure that you have adequate airflow / ventilation around all sides of these amps as they run quite warm. If your Forte' amps are not idling quite warm to the touch, the amp is out of bias and needs repair. I've run across a few amps like this, so be on the look-out for such things if shopping for a Forte'. I've seen sellers of Forte' amps state "amp never gets hot", so that's one that you know is not working properly / in need of repair.
My experience is that the Forte' amps work best with lower impedance loads. They aren't the most ruggedly built amps in terms of current capacity though, so don't expect them to drive very low impedance loads to staggering sound levels while retaining great amounts of control. Having said that, they do work very well / sound good when driving some speakers that other amps may not do all that well with. This could be related to their higher bias levels and reduced crossover distortion that results.
To sum things up, i am a big fan of Forte' amps. When they are running properly i.e. set to factory spec, they are one of the greatest bargains on the used audio market. Combined with solid support components and high quality low impedance speaker cabling, they can form the foundation of a truly accurate yet musical system that is phenomenally cost effective. When tastefully modified beyond factory spec, they can easily compete with and many times beat much more expensive and prestigious amps into the ground. Sean
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For best results, these amps work best if left powered up 24/7. Make sure that you have adequate airflow / ventilation around all sides of these amps as they run quite warm. If your Forte' amps are not idling quite warm to the touch, the amp is out of bias and needs repair. I've run across a few amps like this, so be on the look-out for such things if shopping for a Forte'. I've seen sellers of Forte' amps state "amp never gets hot", so that's one that you know is not working properly / in need of repair.
My experience is that the Forte' amps work best with lower impedance loads. They aren't the most ruggedly built amps in terms of current capacity though, so don't expect them to drive very low impedance loads to staggering sound levels while retaining great amounts of control. Having said that, they do work very well / sound good when driving some speakers that other amps may not do all that well with. This could be related to their higher bias levels and reduced crossover distortion that results.
To sum things up, i am a big fan of Forte' amps. When they are running properly i.e. set to factory spec, they are one of the greatest bargains on the used audio market. Combined with solid support components and high quality low impedance speaker cabling, they can form the foundation of a truly accurate yet musical system that is phenomenally cost effective. When tastefully modified beyond factory spec, they can easily compete with and many times beat much more expensive and prestigious amps into the ground. Sean
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